JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
For the first time in the command's 13-year history, Joint Task Force Civil Support deployed all of their personnel in a defense support of civil authorities response operation after Hurricane Sandy ravaged parts of New York and New Jersey last week.
The massive storm slammed into the East Coast, killing at least 106 people in the United States and caused widespread power outages, flooding and gas shortages. It will turn out to be one of the costliest and most devastating storms to strike the United States, causing about $20 billion in property damages and $10 billion to $30 billion more in lost business, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
Army North, as the Joint Force Land Component Command of U.S. Northern Command, activated Joint Task Force Civil Support, headquartered at Fort Eustis, Va., to serve as the JFLCC Coordinating Element at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The JCE's mission is to coordinate for military units conducting missions in affected regions of the Eastern seaboard.
For the past week, JTF-CS has coordinated a variety of federal military support to aid relief efforts, including 80 strategic airlift missions conducted by the Air Mobility Command, 600 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel currently pumping 11 tunnels and waste water treatment plants in both New York and New Jersey and more than 2 million meals delivered by the Defense Logistics Agency.
The JCE also supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local responders by planning, requesting and overseeing the actions of federal military units that will deliver critical capabilities, equipment and supplies throughout the response.
"What we're trying to ensure is...we get the right type of support to these folks," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeff W. Mathis III, commander, JFLCC Coordination Element and JTF-CS, during a talk with his staff recently. "There's still a significant amount of work that needs to be done."
JTF-CS, headquartered at Joint Base Langley Eustis, Va., was assigned this mission because of the unit's proximity to the affected region and its "rapid readiness to respond," according to JTF-CS officials.
The key to disaster response is time-saving planning and coordination, anticipation of what support federal, state and local responders need to help save lives and return a sense of normalcy to those impacted, according to JTF-CS officials.
This is not the first time that JTF-CS has responded to a natural disaster. The command deployed a 54-person team to Fort Bragg, N.C. in Sept. 2011 as part of the federal response to Hurricane Irene, which wrought flooding and damage throughout the U.S. eastern seaboard.
The major difference between the two responses is nearly every single member of almost 200-person command deployed to a forward location during response operations to New Jersey's eastern shore.
Within 72 hours notification from higher headquarters, JTF-CS had nearly all of its personnel and almost every piece of their equipment on the road or in the air bound for N.J. Some personnel drove, loading up into convoys of pickup trucks along loaded with communication equipment, supplies and luggage. Others from JTF-CS flew in two days later on Marine Corps' KC-130 Hercules aircraft.
Last year's Hurricane Irene support to North Carolina included command and control of two helicopters from the U.S. Army's Fort Stewart, Ga.-based Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, providing aerial transportation to nine representatives from both state response managers and FEMA.
"Hurricane Irene provided us a great learning opportunity which helped significantly in preparing for Sandy," said David Lamphere, 305th Aerial Port Squadron terminal manager. "We were able to respond expediently and efficiently with a familiarity based on last year's efforts and a vigilant training and exercise program, as well."
Meanwhile, more than 7,600 National Guardsmen from across 14 states have provided sustained support to impacted regions. Guardsmen have rescued more than 2,000 people from flood zones, delivered 144,000 meals and provided cargo plane transportation for first responders to restore power and provide critical supplies.
Not all of the important work is being done outside in the damaged environment that Hurricane Sandy has left behind. One very crucial part of JTF-CS' support to civil authorities' mission is done by seven people that are huddled around laptop computers in a small office working around the clock in 12-hour shifts. They are keeping track of all of the active duty military personnel from all of the units that are coming in and out of the region.
"Being here, we contribute in a different way," said Staff Sgt. Elsie Muniz, human resources noncommissioned officer, JCE.
"We ensure people are accounted for and that we have the right amount of people to do the job. These relief operations are fully underway; we're reassuring the people that we're here to help them, and we're here to ensure this is getting done."
The Houston native said helping people is why she joined the Army.
"I love what I do; I love helping people," said Muniz. "As an NCO in the Army, there's nothing better."
As recovery operations continue, the communities affected have started their journey back to normalcy - most of the tunnels are open, the subways have returned to normal operation and more than 80% of homes and businesses have power. For as long as help is needed, more than 1,800 active duty military personnel that have been working around the clock will be here until the job is done.
"FEMA will continue recovery efforts for the central and southern New Jersey area from [JB MDL] as long as necessary," said Bill Douglass, external affairs specialist at FEMA, Region II. Region II serves New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"FEMA will also be actively engaged throughout New York, just as it was through much of last year and this, helping communities recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in both New York and New Jersey,"
JTF-CS is supporting a "whole community" response to save lives, prevent further suffering, and minimize the effects of Hurricane Sandy, according to JTF-CS officials. JTF-CS is a subordinate unit to U.S. Northern Command, the combatant command responsible for overseeing defense support to civil authorities in the U.S., and operationally controlled by U.S. Army North. U.S. Army North serves as the Joint Forces Land Component Command for U.S. Northern Command.